Why Only ‘Chowkidar’? Here Are 6 Other Prefixes to Describe Us
‘Berozgar’ for one is a good Twitter prefix.
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On 16 March, BJP launched a ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign on Twitter calling everyone who fights against corruption and other social evils a ‘chowkidar’ (watchman). This was followed by PM Narendra Modi changing his twitter handle to Chowkidar Narendra Modi. Other BJP leaders and supporters soon followed suit and added ‘Chowkidar’ to their Twitter handles.
The campaign is seen as a counter against Congress’ #ChowkidarChorHai jibe.
As the campaign gathered wind, many Opposition leaders tweeted against it. Congress member Hardik Patel added ‘Berojgar’ (unemployed) to his Twitter handle and Rajdeep Sardesai added ‘Citizen’.
Why be limited to #MainBhiChowkidar? Here is a list of prefixes that will look great on Twitter and perhaps, more accurately capture the state of the citizens.
'Berozgar'
India’s unemployment rate was at a 45-year high of 6.1 percent in 2017-18, according to the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) periodic labour force survey (PLFS), reported Business Standard.
National Statistical Commission (NSC) Chairman, PC Mohanan, had announced his resignation on 28 January over the delay in the release of the unemployment rate report.
'Gareeb Kisaan'
Rural wages grew only 3.8 percent year-on-year in December 2018, the lowest ever for this month, reported The Indian Express.
According to the report, annual wholesale inflation in December was minus 0.07 percent for “food” and 4.45 percent for “non-food” articles, hints that the distress isn’t confined to agriculture.
'Safai Karamchari'
One person has died every five days between January 2017 and September 2018, while doing manual scavenging work, according to numbers collated by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), as per a report in The Indian Express.
On 24 February, PM Modi had felicitated safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) at the Kumbh Mela by washing their feet and calling them the ‘real karm yogis’.
'Independent Patrakaar'
India featured third on a Forbes list of the deadliest countries for journalists in 2018, after Afghanistan and Syria. At least five Indian journalists were killed in 2018, as per CPJ research.
Veteran journalist and Rising Kashmir Editor Shujaat Bukhari and 35-year-old Sandeep Sharma lost their lives for doing their jobs.
'Demonetised Trader'
In an All India Manufacturers’ Organisation (AIMO) survey, 34,000 respondents from the TMSME sector (Traders, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) have reported job loss and decline in revenues in the last four-and-a-half years. The survey notes demonetisation, which happened on 8 November 2016 and the roll out of GST, on 1 July 2017, as the reasons behind it.
AIMO also noted that as far as job loss is concerned, tailors, cobblers, barbers, plumbers, masons, electricians were the worst hit.
“Micro industries show a 43% drop in operational profits, small-scale industries report a dip of 35% and medium scale industries faced a drop of 24%,” president of AIMO, told The Indian Express.
'Ganga Ki Beti'
A report in The Times of India, with findings of the Sankat Mocha Foundation study, says there has been a significant increase in coliform bacteria and the biochemical oxygen demand, both of which form an important basis to judge the pollution levels of the river water, which should remain at a minimum.
“Of the 254 projects announced to clean the river, 75 projects have not been completed and while Rs 6,131 crore of the project outlay of Rs 24,672 crore was released, only Rs 4,994 crore has been released till now,” said a Congress party person, according to a DNA report.
On 22 February, PM Modi was awarded the Seoul Peace Prize and he had announced that the prize money of Rs 1.3 crore would be donated to the Namami Gange fund, to help clean the river.
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